********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
* *
* *
** **
**** ****
********
.,=^*@#### SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ####@*^=,.
..,=^*@### BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ###@*^=,..
...,=^*@## THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ##@*^=,...
....,=^*@# NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES #@*^=,....
.....,=^*@ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN @*^=,.....
......,=^* STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. *^=,......
.......,=^ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ^=,.......
........,= THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, =,........
........., AND A GIFT SHOP. ,.........
.......... ..........
........., THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ,.........
........,= MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE =,........
.......,=^ CONSIDERED POOR. ^=,.......
......,=^* *^=,......
.....,=^*@ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, @*^=,.....
....,=^*@# DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN #@*^=,....
...,=^*@## YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ##@*^=,...
..,=^*@### REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ###@*^=,..
.,=^*@#### CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ####@*^=,.
..,=^*@### LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ###@*^=,..
...,=^*@## PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ##@*^=,...
....,=^*@# SOME ARE SHATTERED. #@*^=,....
.....,=^*@ @*^=,.....
......,=^* THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S *^=,......
.......,=^ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ^=,.......
........,= GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. =,........
........., VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ,.........
.......... TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ..........
........., GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ,.........
........,= =,........
.......,=^ ** ^=,.......
......,=^* ** ** *^=,......
.....,=^*@ ======= * * ======= @*^=,.....
....,=^*@# ** ** #@*^=,....
...,=^*@## ** ##@*^=,...
..,=^*@### ###@*^=,..
.,=^*@#### I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ####@*^=,.
..,=^*@### OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ###@*^=,..
...,=^*@## OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ##@*^=,...
....,=^*@# DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS #@*^=,....
.....,=^*@ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF @*^=,.....
......,=^* DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO *^=,......
.......,=^ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ^=,.......
........,= LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK =,........
........., WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ,.........
.......... ..........
........., HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ,.........
........,= HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. =,........
.......,=^ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ^=,.......
......,=^* INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE *^=,......
.....,=^*@ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM @*^=,.....
....,=^*@# WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS #@*^=,....
...,=^*@## OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ##@*^=,...
..,=^*@### ###@*^=,..
.,=^*@#### THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ####@*^=,.
..,=^*@### HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ###@*^=,..
...,=^*@## LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ##@*^=,...
....,=^*@# TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST #@*^=,....
.....,=^*@ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH @*^=,.....
......,=^* STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE *^=,......
.......,=^ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ^=,.......
........,= ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING =,........
........., LIT FROM BEHIND. ,.........
.......... ..........
........., I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ,.........
........,= THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE =,........
.......,=^ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ^=,.......
......,=^* LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN *^=,......
.....,=^*@ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, @*^=,.....
....,=^*@# AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE #@*^=,....
...,=^*@## OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ##@*^=,...
..,=^*@### ###@*^=,..
.,=^*@#### ** ####@*^=,.
..,=^*@### ** ** ###@*^=,..
...,=^*@## ======= * * ======= ##@*^=,...
....,=^*@# ** ** #@*^=,....
.....,=^*@ ** @*^=,.....
......,=^* *^=,......
.......,=^ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ^=,.......
........,= STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET =,........
........., IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ,.........
.......... IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ..........
........., IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ,.........
........,= DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY =,........
.......,=^ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ^=,.......
......,=^* SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND *^=,......
.....,=^*@ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. @*^=,.....
....,=^*@# #@*^=,....
...,=^*@## THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ##@*^=,...
..,=^*@### THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ###@*^=,..
.,=^*@#### THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ####@*^=,.
..,=^*@### A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ###@*^=,..
...,=^*@## SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ##@*^=,...
....,=^*@# HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I #@*^=,....
.....,=^*@ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO @*^=,.....
......,=^* THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. *^=,......
.......,=^ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ^=,.......
........,= CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE =,........
........., ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ,.........
.......... ..........
........., THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ,.........
........,= WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND =,........
.......,=^ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ^=,.......
......,=^* BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT *^=,......
.....,=^*@ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE @*^=,.....
....,=^*@# BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING #@*^=,....
...,=^*@## DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ##@*^=,...
..,=^*@### TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ###@*^=,..
.,=^*@#### DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ####@*^=,.
..,=^*@### FLOOR. ###@*^=,..
...,=^*@## ##@*^=,...
....,=^*@# HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO #@*^=,....
.....,=^*@ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE @*^=,.....
......,=^* LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, *^=,......
.......,=^ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ^=,.......
........,= PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF =,........
........., HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ,.........
.......... THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ..........
........., ,.........
........,= I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM =,........
.......,=^ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ^=,.......
......,=^* MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A *^=,......
.....,=^*@ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS @*^=,.....
....,=^*@# THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT #@*^=,....
...,=^*@## VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ##@*^=,...
..,=^*@### BECOME STILL. ###@*^=,..
.,=^*@#### ####@*^=,.
..,=^*@### ** ###@*^=,..
...,=^*@## ** ** ##@*^=,...
....,=^*@# ======= * * ======= #@*^=,....
.....,=^*@ ** ** @*^=,.....
......,=^* ** *^=,......
.......,=^ ^=,.......
........,= A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, =,........
........., AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ,.........
.......... BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ..........
........., STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ,.........
........,= CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST =,........
.......,=^ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ^=,.......
......,=^* SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, *^=,......
.....,=^*@ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. @*^=,.....
....,=^*@# #@*^=,....
...,=^*@## SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ##@*^=,...
..,=^*@### THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ###@*^=,..
.,=^*@#### GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ####@*^=,.
..,=^*@### I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ###@*^=,..
...,=^*@## THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ##@*^=,...
....,=^*@# #@*^=,....
.....,=^*@ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. @*^=,.....
**
** **
* *
** **
**